A Cruel Arrangement is a mafia romance novel and it is the second book in a series (duet?). I did not read the first book, and I feel like I would have been more into the book if I HAD read the first book. The story jumps in with Molly's business, a bowling alley, getting robbed. We quickly get introduced to the characters Ashton, Trace, Jess, and we learn about Jess and Molly's friend unfortunately getting murdered. We also learn that two of the mafia families recently had quite a few members of their family pass away, leaving Ashton to lead the Walden mafia family and Trace leading the West mafia family. I feel like even 30% into this book, there was not enough world building for me to really feel engaged with the characters. It felt like to me, they were just trying to explain everything that happened in the last book, but the cliffs notes version. I felt myself not really caring what happened to the characters. Maybe I would be more invested in the characters and this world if I read the first book, but also, maybe mafia romance just isn't my cup of tea. I would not recommend someone read this book as a standalone, but I would recommend they start with book 1 and then read this one as a followup. #ACruelArrangement #NetGalley

Tijan is quickly becoming one of my auto buy authors. The way her writing takes over whole brain while I’m reading, truly makes it feel like I’ve entered the fictional world I’m reading about. This book was no different. I loved these characters, I loved the slow burn, I loved the tension and the emotion. This felt more “adult” that Tijan’s other books and that’s why I loved it so much, I think. It’s a typical mafia romance so it was fairly predictable, but I had so much fun with Jess and Trace.

I started reading it with a lot of expectations because I loved the synopsis and well, I like a mafia daddy in any dark mafia romance (taking into account that I haven't read the first book before).
So, slowly I began to understand and like the characters, it's difficult to not become involved with them and the plot. I loved the way they completed each other, even when they had opposite personalities.

I also loved the writing, I had never read anything by this author but now I want to read more in the future, because THIS ONE was addictive.
And well, sometimes this type of book is just the perfect spicy romance to read.

So, if you are into mafia romance, with action and even suspense (oh and don't forget the spice) this book is great for you.

Molly owns a business. A robbery will change her life in crazy ways. The day after the robbery, Molly wakes up at Ashton Walden's home. Ashton is the head of the Walden crime family. Another problem is Molly's estranged father owes the family a considerable debt that Ashton expects her to pay. Molly is a strong, determined woman that will let no man keep her down. The sparks between the couple fly in this story.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.

I love Molly! She’s insane in the best way. She had me cracking up through the whole book.

Tropes:
Mafia
Frenemies to lovers
Touch her and die

I can’t believe I didn’t post a review here. But late is better than never. Right.

Welcome to the Kings of New York! A Cruel Arrangement is the second installment to the Kings of New York series. With that said, make sure you read Dirty Business before heading into this book. You’ll thank me afterwards.

This book is dark, violent, and twisty and the plots from both books intertwine nicely. Lots of secrets were revealed and heart wrenching moments that dealt with past family trauma and business (Mafia) drama happened.

The story starts off with a kick rump Molly and then escalated from there with twists and secrets that became revealed throughout the book. Ashton our man comes in to save the day. From the start you can see he’s your ultra bad boy, the anti- hero, the above the top mafia man that knows what he’s doing and nothing gets in the way when it comes to Molly. And the more I read the more I loved how they were able to peel back the other’s layers and understand the deepest part of them. Now I can't help but wonder... third book? Cause I need it now! I can't get enough.

I read A Cruel Arrangement and now I have my usual problem after reading Tijan’s books: book hangover! I had no idea how Ashton’s book would turn out, since he’s dark and likes to hurt people. But then the author made a brilliant move, she gave him Molly Easter, a girl who is flaky, kind, gutsy and caring.

Her thought processes are so foreign to Ashton that she kept him on his toes all the time, she very easily disobeyed his rules, had a perfectly logical (to her!) reason for doing so, and got spidey senses when there is something wrong and won’t back down from helping. She’s a wonderful person with a dark side (she calls it “the switch”) and completely perfect for Ashton. She broke through his defenses and obliterated the wall he had around his heart.

The book is fun, funny, steamy and as always, includes characters who are a delight, family to Molly. Pialto and Sophie love Molly like family, are completely loyal and are completely complicit in any mayhem she comes up with. Jess starts a little distant but comes closer as she sees how much Molly cares and looks out for her. I saw in this story that Jess has started to laugh and enjoy life, even with the weight of Kelly’s death on her. And I loved seeing Trace so completely in love with his woman!

Molly is magnificent, she truly has had an effect on everyone, and no wonder Ashton, who is like an icicle at the beginning, melts into goo with her, but only with her and only in private. I loved the scenes where he would carry her around because she was freaked out and only he could make her feel safe. He would say hop on and she would climb him like a monkey! I also loved how Molly was nosey and escapey. She would appear behind bushes, hiding in the stairs, behind a wall, eavesdropping and generally minding others’ business. And unrepentant too! She was a delight and I found her adorable.

I also loved seeing Ashton fall like a ton of bricks for this quirky, wonderful woman. From confusion, to fascination, to love, it was wonderful to see his heart engage.

And let’s not talk about Molly’s theory of their group: Trace is the thinker, Jess and Ashton are the doers and thus compete with one another, and she’s the go-between, the glue that keeps them together. “I’m like added sealant.”

Entertaining, riveting, multi-layered and fantastic! Now I don’t know how to leave this world of Tijan!

This is Book 2 in the Kings of New York Series by this author. It is a dark mafia romance between Molly and Ashton. These flawed but likeable characters and the unique plot make for an intriguing read. It is a love story peppered with drama, danger, suspense, violence, action, steam, family dynamic, twists, and passion, plus appealing secondary characters to keep the reader interested. The main characters share an undeniable chemistry and connection. An emotional roller coaster. It can be read as a standalone but you enhance your reading pleasure if you read the other book in the series.

This is Ashton and Molly's story. We pick up where we left off, trying to figure out who killed Kelly and Justin. Molly finds herself deeper than she expects and catches feelings for Mob boss Ashton. I found her character to be somewhat flighty at times but also complex. She confused me often. Ashton seems pretty straightforward in his actions. He is a doer. He doesn't falter.what he doesn't expect is to fall for Molly. He tells her he will burn the world for her. We interact with Jess, Trace and the rest of the crew throughout in this complex world of twists and turns.

I love reading anything of Tijan's and I will continue to read anything of her. I really enjoyed reading this book and loved reading Molly and Ashton's story!

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, I think that's why I put off reviewing it for so long. The writing was okay and so were the characters, but nothing was really hooking me. The story felt really predictable, and I think that's what really made me struggle to get into it.

I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley. As always, my opinions are entirely my own.

Not exactly what I expected, but I shouldn’t have been surprised, this author does like to keep us on our toes

Tijan has done it yet again! I loved Ashton and Molly's story. The forbidden push and pull between the two of them kept me enthralled in the story.

Molly was caught in a attempted robbery at her business and due to the mafia families at war, Molly is on the front line. Ashton and Molly have a past and he doesn't know what to do with the feelings he has for Molly. Ashton is the leader of a mafia family and has no time for anything other than business. There are many secrets that could make or break them and Ashton is not willing to let those secrets free.

As Ashton tries to cope with the killing of a friend and feelings for Molly, can he prepare himself for what's in store? Does he has the power to stay away and be the boss everyone know him to be?

You do not want to miss this story!

BAD. BAD. THIS BOOK WAS SO BAD. take a shot every time the fmc tries to be the hero for completely selfish reasons, take a shot every time she mentions how many times a gun has been held to her ehad, take a shot every time they have sex instead of communicating- you will be blacked out.
they are breaking up and heres how i know- they are mistaking love for lust IF YOU SAY ILY FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING SEX you will break up i swear it
i just hated this book with a burning fiery fury it was so cringe and lame the plot wanted so bad to give murder mystery but all it gave was 'i watched one youtube video about the mafia and now im gonna write a book about it'
way too many characters that had no point
i felt like the scenes were stuck in sludge, nothing was happening but the same thing over and over again- reminded me of after by anna todd if it was not fun
i highly do not recommend that you waste your time with this dumster fire. the only reason i finished it is because i was listening to it as an audiobook

Ashton stole my heart. He grabbed in the last book but this is what solidify him there.

This mafia guy meets his match in Molly who is not as weak or innocent as one would think. She can handle herself in some very creative ways. Watching him unwrap her was so much fun because you know he was a goner. No matter how hard he tried.

The last book left us shook and in this one we get to the heart of that tragic cliffhanger. Not really a surprise in some way as to who was behind it but still enjoyed the ride as more mysteries evolved and were solved.

It’s a bit of slow burn but man when they hit the sheets, it’s explosive.

I enjoyed this second book in the Kings of New York series. Which is an interconnected standalone. You don't have to have read the first one to read this. But the first one is great, definitely recommend and it also comes with the audio included/available if you Kindle Unlimited limited which is bonus great feature. The dual narration is done well. 

The characters from the first book do make appearances because the FMCs are friends and MCs are best friends. The first book in the series is summarized in a way that gives you enough information to understand what's going on with the character's in the world read aa standalone. While also being told In a way that if you have read it,  refreshes your memory but isn't too much repeated information. 

I really liked Ashton in the first book and was really excited for him to get his story. I like him throughout the first since that happened towards the end is mentioned in this one. Again always been a fan and I think this will make anyone a fan. I think he's a great character and I really like him as an MC. It's told Duel POV so we get both of their perspectives which I really enjoy. And there was a great setup for the relationship. Twist and turns in a lot to keep you reading. Just like the first book in the series. I'm really enjoying this vibe for Tijan.

The book keeps you reading and the the audio keeps you listening in the narration is done well. Definitely recommend this book and this series.

If you like mafia romances, I would recommend A Cruel Arrangement. Ashton is in the mob, while Molly is the daughter of a lowlife who's in debt to them. The story is told from both their perspectives.

I would have liked to see more of the couple's past, because they already have an established acquaintanceship when the story starts. At times the narration felt meandering, which seems like a stylistic choice - for me, it felt somewhat extraneous. Ashton's narration was more concise, and I felt the writing was stronger there.

There were a couple lines that really blew me away, for example: "She was either my target, my mark, my woman, or my cross to bear. Any and all ways I split it, she was mine." I mean, that's what you want from a mafia romance!

I had some trouble keeping track of the cast of characters. I'm not sure if there were two characters named Jess? And this is most likely just a me issue as I watched the movie From Justin to Kelly 100 times when I was younger, but naming a couple Justin and Kelly was giving me flashbacks to the early aughts.

Thank you to Tijan and the publisher for the ARC!

Woah, WOW, Wonderful! My first read by this author. The story was so, so detailed, the complexity and the the characters we so well thought out and deep. Ashton is one complex man, and you only see what he admits at the very end, how really true that is. Molly totally makes me smile, especially with "the switch", and "the fuzzies", it's amazing. The transition from first meeting to where they ended up is quite the journey, filled with highs and lows. Amusing in the bowling alley in the beginning and swoon worthy in the latest compound. A high intensity read but also with big, big smile moments, e.g., like her computer password! I loved the secondary characters, Avery and Elijah. The make up of the foursome, the roles of each of them, the layers that are being peeled back in Ashton and Molly and it's wonderful to see. "Pinkie" You have to read this story!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

I loved this book so much Ashton was totally redeemed for me in this book and this was the perfect ending to the duet!

From New York Times bestselling author Tijan comes the intensely passionate story of a man trying to make amends and the woman who makes him want to keep his promises.
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I am new to the Kings of New York, this is Ashton's story. Luckily it can be read as a standalone since this is book 2.
Molly and Ashton's chemistry is intense. Ashton is the head in his Mafia family. Molly has had a bad childhood and finds out she was conned and is connected to him. Now someone is after her.
This story had so much suspense and action.

Read if you like:
✨ Mafia
✨ Murder mystery
✨ Touch her and die
✨ Rivals to lovers

Thank you montlake for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.